New York Introduces New Hurricane-Proof Hospital

The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital replaces the facility that was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy.

By Mackenna Moralez, Associate Editor


Residents of South Brooklyn will soon have a new $923 million public hospital that will elevate the healthcare of its patients. 

The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital is designed to be flood proof – a crucial decision as the Coney Island Hospital was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. According to The New York Times, seawater poured into the emergency room and at least 370 patients were evacuated.  

The new hospital was built in the same location as the previous building. Hospital leaders managed to convince the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that constructing a new building would cost nearly the same as repairing the old one. The New York Times report that FEMA gave the city’s public hospital system $1 billion to build a new facility.  

The building reportedly has four-foot-tall barrier walls surrounding most of the campus. Meanwhile, two large generators occupy the building’s fifth floor. The hospital also has a glass curtain wall that is resistant to hurricane damage and is able to withstand “large and small missile impact,” The New York Times reports. The new hospital will also feature: 

  • A surgical suite comprised of eight state-of-the-art operating rooms 
  • Robotic surgery 
  • An endoscopy suite 
  • Inpatient dialysis 
  • 80 private medical-surgical beds 
  • 60 behavioral health beds with panoramic views of Brooklyn and the New York City skyline 
  • Diagnostic and interventional radiology 
  • Clinical laboratories 

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.  



May 4, 2023


Topic Area: Construction


Recent Posts

Cleanliness in Hospitals: Clinical Priority and Community Perception

EVS managers and communities value cleanliness for complementary reasons: managers for safety and compliance, communities for trust and comfort.


Dana-Farber Receives $50M Gift for Planned Cancer Hospital

A $50 million grant from the Yawkey Foundation will support construction of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s planned 450,000-square-foot cancer hospital.


Clarinda Regional Health Center Reports Data Security Incident

On or around December 15, 2025, Clarinda learned that certain data within its network may have been accessed without authorization.


Gaps in Nurses' Environmental Cleaning Knowledge Grow Amid Rising EVS Pressures

Environmental cleaning is crucial in preventing HAIs, but when the responsibility falls to those outside of EVS teams, problems arise. 


Ground Broken on the Southern Nevada Forensic Facility

Construction on the new secure forensic psychiatric hospital is expected to be completed in 2029.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.